<p>Which major would be better for me, Electrical Engineering or Computer Science.</p>
<p>My profile:</p>
<p>1. Interest wise? Well both subjects seem interesting to me. My 2 favorite subjects have been math and science all my life, with math 1st. Otherwise I like solving problems and thinking things through logically, I also like application. </p>
<p>2. I'm also majoring in mathematics.</p>
<p>3. My ultimate goal is to be selected into a top MBA program and specialize in finance. Which major would be prepare me for this?</p>
<p>4. I also want to get a finance related job right after undergrad school. A job that is good enough to eventually land me in a Top ranked MBA school. Which major would best set me up for this?</p>
<p>I would say that CS a degree in CS would be more compatible with a double-major in math and it would probably also allow you to take a few finance classes on the side. Also, being in CS, I have nothing but contempt for my EE brethren. So take my opinion with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>If your goal is to work in finance, then CS would be a better major to go along with Finance than EE as the programming and computation skills may be useful in the job. CIS might even be more useful from a business perspective but would be less math-intensive.</p>
<p>I'm in EE, but I would recommend that you major in CS. In EE you'll learn a lot of physics and stuff about circuits that won't be very useful to someone who wants to do finance.</p>
<p>1. I have to admit, even though I like both majors, I have am slightly more intersted in EE due to the physics and more science. Which one of these majors though would you say is "Harder". I mean, I am doing a math degree at the same time already.</p>
<p>2. I've heard EE is the broadest engineering major. So does the broadness not apply here now? I've heard with a EE major you can get a job even in the software or CS departments. </p>
<p>In my engineering school you are allowed to "conentrate" on a specific part of the major for EE. They are all listed on the bototm.</p>
<p>Would any of these concentrations help get me around what a CS major would also be able to do? Concentrations include, Embedded Computing Systems, Digital Signal and Image Processing, Communications, etc.</p>
<p>It's hard to answer your last post because you've indicated that your final destination is Finance. CS is usually more focused on software and you should have more programming and software engineering courses. </p>
<p>Yes, EE's do get hired for software engineering jobs where hardware isn't a consideration but it's usually a second-choice hire.</p>
<p>How about in terms of the goal being admitted to a Top 5 MBA program? Would they care at all that you had EE over CS, which uses more skills (hardware/software)?</p>
<p>But my destination is still finance...Even though I have a slight more interest in science, and therefore would probably prefer EE. Though I like both.</p>
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How about in terms of the goal being admitted to a Top 5 MBA program? Would they care at all that you had EE over CS, which uses more skills (hardware/software)?</p>
<p>But my destination is still finance...Even though I have a slight more interest in science, and therefore would probably prefer EE. Though I like both.
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<p>No they won't care what your major was just what your grades were. </p>
<p>My question is why are you planning to do either EE or CS when your plans involve finance and an MBA?</p>
My question is why are you planning to do either EE or CS when your plans involve finance and an MBA?
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<p>Reasons are simple.</p>
<p>1) Most Top MBA programs admit engineering majors more than business majors. My undergrad course work is going to look more rigorous as well, and thats something they like. </p>
<p>2) I am going to get an MBA in finance anyways, so why major in finance as an undergrad? In the MBA program many of those classes are going to be repetitive. </p>
<p>It sounds like you've already made your decision, and you're just looking for confirmation or validation from us. You gotta do what you gotta do.</p>
<p>CS has nothing to do with Physics. EE is essentially a branch of applied Physics. While it's true that there may be some overlap in courses relating to circuitry, computer architecture, etc., that doesn't make them the same. In reality, it doesn't even make them as close as most people think.</p>
<p>Birthday cake and beef jerky are both food, but they have a lot of differences too. A "concentration" is basically just a way of saying "Instead of just eating birthday cake, I'll have a bite of your beef jerky as well." Then if somebody down the road asks "do you like beef jerky", you can probably respond in the positive. But if somebody asks "are you a connoisseur of beef jerky?", and you've been eating birthday cake your whole life, it would be misleading to say "I tried some, one time, and I ate it and kept it down alright, so yes."</p>
<p>CS is interested in computation. It just so happens that computers are good at it. EE focuses on harnessing the power of electricity to do things. It just so happens computers run on electricity. That's the source of any overlap.</p>
<p>So, my concluding remarks: I stick with what I said initially. I think you'll find CS is more compatible with a double major in math; I think you'll find that CS gives you more concentration or elective courses to pursue finance than does EE; CS has nothing to do with Physics, while EE is applied physics - so you should take this into account; while CS and EE do have some overlap and attract the same types of people, they are fundamentally different disciplines which theoretically have nothing to do with one another.</p>
<p>Why not try economics and math? Or what about Computer Engineering?</p>
<p>I'm going to take intro to programming next quarter. It is required by both CS & EE. I'll see how I do there, how much I like it, and then make my decision. Sounds like a solid plan</p>
<p>1) Most Top MBA programs admit engineering majors more than business majors. My undergrad course work is going to look more rigorous as well, and thats something they like. </p>
<p>2) I am going to get an MBA in finance anyways, so why major in finance as an undergrad? In the MBA program many of those classes are going to be repetitive. </p>
<p>3) I've always liked Math & Science
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<p>Ok point taken. To answer your question I would suggest CS because you will more likely be able to take other classes related to business which will prepare you for your goal in the end. In EE all you will do is science, math, and engineering. Your electives will be for humanities/social sciences and technical electives. The only business classes you'd take as an engineer are microecon and engineering econ.</p>
<p>EE.....CS and Math can be very "imaginary" topics, unbounded by reality depending on where and how you study them. EE will give you excellent modeling skills (mostly from circuit analysis, E&M, and simulations) which are essential for working in finance as well as whatever little programming you need to pick up on. The useful math will also set you up for quantitative finance (exploding field...)</p>
<p>Another issue is you don't want to be sucked into IT departments of banks and IB's (Low bonuses, low prestige, lack of respect, boring jobs etc). Cause once you do it will be VERY hard to get back out.</p>
<p>Major in Honors EE or EE & a minor in math so you don't limit your finance future opportunities. Get IB internships and keep your grades up!</p>
<p>Hmmm... I have to respectfully disagree with you, Lacero. I think that for going into Finance, either CS or Math would be better than EE.</p>
<p>You say that they are "imaginary" topics... well, I don't think this is true at all. While it's true that they don't get into such specific details about applications as EE would, this is because they draw from so many fields for examples. In EE, all examples come from one field, so they can include more advanced ("real") material. However, for somebody not going into that field, CS and Math provide a broader base on which to build skills. In fact, in a four year program in either Math or CS, it would be very unlikely to never get a programming assignment involving some (simplified) business / finance application. None of this in EE. So, in a certain sense, CS and Math are more "real" than EE for Finance.</p>
<p>Second, you say that knowing how to model circuits is more useful than programming for someone in Finance. The problem with that is that in CS, modeling is a very big topic. Most ABET accredited programs have an entire semester about how to look at a problem and model the objects using UML (unified modeling language). This language is at a much higher level than models for circuits, and would be much more appropriate to Financial applications. There are probably also classes in any Math department (I know there is one here) where they focus on modeling real-world scenarios using differential equations, systems of equations, numerical analysis, etc. Again, projects would probably include a healthy amount of Financial applications. Basically, the modeling you would get in CS or Math seems (to me) to be more useful for Finance.</p>
<p>You can get sucked into IT departments of banks and IB's with a degree in EE, too.</p>
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The problem with that is that in CS, modeling is a very big topic. Most ABET accredited programs have an entire semester about how to look at a problem and model the objects using UML (unified modeling language). This language is at a much higher level than models for circuits, and would be much more appropriate to Financial applications.
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<p>UML is on a "higher level" than circuit diagrams because only a small percentage of people in software can actually read UML. Class diagrams are not so bad but then again these have existed before UML came around. Sequence diagrams are the most hideous things I've ever seen. </p>
<p>Anyways I didn't mean to get off topic and I do agree CS is a better choice for someone who plans to do finance. Since the OP is already doing Math (the best option I'd say) his double major is not even really going to matter and a CS double major will work much better with Math than EE.</p>
<p>That's fine if the OP wants to become a code monkey, sys admin or financial report/applications coder.</p>
<p>If he wants to become a real money maker I would strongly advise an applied math or theoretical physics background. Finance is all about attempting to model market phenomenon's to make money. So unless his coursework is "useful" math and not logic, computability, graph theory, discrete math etc I don't see how much better off he will be. He will want to be developing strong numerical analysis skills and most of this is generally applied to Physics, Biology, Chemistry and sometimes stats. </p>
<p>I still stand by my advice (ponder it and speak to your professor's) but since I'm outnumbered Ill say make sure the Math is applied and the CS is numerical if you decide that route. Don't go trying to solve imaginary problems. Try to become a clock builder not a time teller.</p>
<p>It seems that many here see dollar signs in finance. Do you have any proof of this? Does your organization have open requisitions that you know about in finance that pay these huge salaries? The US is still running but we've hit a major patch of deflation on the order of trillions of dollars in the shadow banking system. This system is mostly gone and won't be generating the huge amounts of money that it did in the past.</p>
<p>Also think about where the money came from. It was a transfer of wealth from Main St to Wall St. Well, Main St is really, really, really ****ed off at Wall St. So is Washington DC. Wall St is still trying to pull off whatever it can get away with but those big finance salaries should be deflating along with everything else.</p>
<p>New York unemployment is running over 7% right now. Here's a little snippet from the Boston Globe:</p>
<pre><code>In Massachusetts, job losses were broad. Professional and business services, a key
employment sector that includes consultants, scientific and technical firms, lost
7,500 jobs. Retailers shed 3,100 jobs. Construction firms slashed 2,500 jobs, and
manufacturers 1,000. Education and health care services, which includes universities
and hospitals, lost 700 jobs.
</code></pre>
<p>The current administration and Congress are working on a stimulus package and where are they targeting jobs and money to? High-income finance jobs? No. Public works projects - those that will employ as many people as possible. They want to get a lot of people working - not a few at the high end.</p>
<p>You may not have noticed but Wall St is under a microscope right now. We're giving them a lot of money and they're acting like tone-deaf idiots in what they are doing with it. It's pure greed - give me mine, I don't care about anyone else. Is that the kind of environment that you want to be working in?</p>